In the meantime...

People’s Instinctive Travels and The Paths To Rhythm (1990)

The long album title certainly is a bit strange, but had little effect on the quality.  When this album was released, it was highly acclaimed by critics.  That seems like a meaningless credit now, but was a big deal at the time.  It was given the rare and coveted (at the time) perfect 5 mic rating from The Source magazine.  Some critics feel the album sounded too immature and too experimental for such immaturity.  While there are signs of immaturity, the guys were in the 18-20 neighborhood when this was created and released, so that is to be expected   

This is not my favorite Tribe album, but it definitely still holds up.  The album tackles many social issues, some introspection, and has some mindless fun as well.  Even the serious songs, don’t come off sounding serious.  The album also boasted some popular singles that received quite a bit of airplay on MTV, which like high praise from The Source, meant a lot at the time.  The singles from the album were “Bonita Appelbum”, “I Left My Wallet In El Segundo”, and “Can I Kick It?”  Hip Hop fans not as familiar with the time period would recognize the hook to “Can I Kick It?”  It has been a staple for years at Hip Hop shows for call and response.  My two favorites on the album are “Luck Of Lucien” and “Can I Kick It?”

Even with lots of MTV/BET/radio play and high critical praise, the album didn’t sell very well at the time.  The album has since gone gold, but didn’t reach that feat until 1996.

The Low End Theory (1991)

There are many influential albums from the 1990s, but this one is often overlooked.  Regardless, the impact can’t be denied.  The influence comes from the production.  There is a very laid back jazzy feel to most of the beats, which definitely became a blueprint for producers on how to sample Jazz records to this day.  Lyrically, Q-Tip and Phife Dawg stepped their game up in a major way.  This album received almost unanimous critical praise, spawned hit singles, and sold very well.  It went gold at the time and eventually went platinum in 1995.  It also launched a career as well, but we’ll get to that in a moment.

The three singles for this album all ended up being pretty big hits.  “Check The Rhyme”, “Jazz (We’ve Got)”, and “Scenario”, which featured Leaders Of The New School.  “Scenario” was the big hit from this album and remains one of the more popular posse cuts of all time.  Busta Rhymes, who was a member of Leaders Of The New School, pretty much launched his future solo career by having one of the bigger show stealing cameos ever.

There is a bit of a debate among fans, but this is one of the two commonly thought of as their best work.  It is certainly their most influential.  I enjoy this album quite a bit.  While I like the singles, my favorite songs are a couple deep album cuts: “The Infamous Date Rape” and “Verses From The Abstract”.

Midnight Marauders (1993)

What should you do with your new album when you need to follow up what is widely considered a classic?  You make another classic.  There is quite a debate among fans whether this is/isn’t better than The Low End Theory.  While they are both classics to me, I think Midnight Marauders is easily better.  Commercially, this was very successful, going platinum pretty easily and was widely praised by critics.

The CD layout is best remembered for being made up of faces of rappers, producers, and DJs.  The album is narrated by a computerized female voice in between of the songs.  Fans unfamiliar with this album will recognize the voice, “keep bouncing”, which she says before the song “Oh My God!” has been sampled a few times over the years.

The singles from the album were “Award Tour”, “Electric Relaxation” and “Oh My God”, which featured Busta Rhymes on the hook.  My favorites from the album were “Electric Relaxation” (my favorite Tribe song) and “Midnight”.

Beats, Rhymes, & Life (1996)

Released 3 years later, this album was created during a transition period in the group.  Everything about this album is a departure.  For starters, lyrically the group had changed.  The lyrics were noticeably darker this go round.  I wouldn’t call it a downer/emo record, but it definitely tackles issues more head on than previous albums.  That can most likely be attributed to the fact that this came out during the whole East/West beef that went on at the time.  It was addressed on a few songs.

The beats follow a similar formula, but definitely take it to a new direction.  On the first 3 albums, Ali Shaheed Mohammed and Q-Tip co-produced almost everything.  This time around, they formed a production team called The Ummah: Ali Shaheed Mohammed, Q-Tip, and a young  J-Dilla (known as Jay Dee at the time).  Phife Dawg also took a back seat role, which he has since attributed to a lack of interest in the music.  Q-Tip’s young cousin Consequence (who later went on to write songs for Kanye West, in addition to solo work) was brought on board to pick up the slack.  He appeared on 6 songs.

On the strength of the hit singles “1nce Again” and “Stressed Out” featuring Faith Evans, the album was once again a commercial success.  It went gold the year it was released and platinum a couple years later.   Even with the commercial successful, many Tribe fans at the time and now are divided on this album.  Many fans (including myself) definitely view it as a step down, but nonetheless a good album.  When you make two classics in a row, anything less than another classic will seem disappointing.  There was also another faction of Tribe fans who simply didn’t like the darker direction of the album, but that seems to have softened over the years.

The Love Movement (1998)

I remember walking in to Sam Goody and going to the magazine rec.  On the shelf was the latest issue on the source magazine.  On the cover, was A Tribe Called Quest, with a blurb underneath talking about how their upcoming album will be their last one.   Looking back at the Beats, Rhymes, & Life album, you can hear the chemistry fading away, but it was still on point and few expected the announcement.  Nowadays, such a hot story would be leaked on Twitter long before a magazine write up hit the shelves.

Regardless, the album was released after the first and only single “Find A Way” hit the radio waves and MTV.  Response to the album was even more mixed than the previous album.

The sales were once good as the album went gold.  The critical response was generally positive.  Fans were/are a little more divided, but in general the album was thought of as nothing special, but nonetheless solid.  It would’ve been nice to end on a higher note, but at least it wasn’t a dud.

…and that was their catalog.  After their break up, they’ve all stayed active.  Q-Tip remains an active producer and has released three solo albums.  Phife Dawg released one solo album.  Ali Shaheed Mohammed remains and active producer and was a member of the super group Lucy Pearl (with Rafael Saadiq and Dawn Robinson from En Vogue).  The group has since reunited for occasional live performances at big festivals, but the possibility of a new album remains highly unlikely.  Regardless, their legacy is undeniable and is always worth mentioning.  

That concludes my latest edition of T.Q.D’s Corner.  Since November is almost here, I’ll have aother edition very soon.  Also, you can check me out once a month on the Jason’s Basement podcast: www.jasonsbasement.com

For the uninitiated, Suga Free comes to us from Pomona, California.  His delivery can be best compared to E-40 and the Project Blowed camp (hi-speed rap ability and wide variations in meter). 

His debut album Street Gospel was released in 1997 and produced entirely by DJ Quik.  Topically Suga Free draws most of his subject matter from his days as a pimp with a few other things mixed in between.  Production wise, it's classic DJ Quik funk: a good mix of synthesizers, samples and live instruments.  I'd argue it's some of his best work. 

In addition to the pimp talk throughout the album, there are plenty of humorous punchlines.  The album starts out on a high note with "Why You Bullshittin?": equal parts bragging and pimp talk, with a beat that has the perfect punch to start off an album.  This is followed up by "I'd Rather Give You My Bitch".  Besides being one of the most hilarious song titles ever, the song is littered with punchlines that I find hilarious, even though they probably shouldn't be.  Over the years, these two songs became arguably his most popular.   

The album continues on at a steady pace and his met with another high point: a posse cut with DJ Quik and Hi-C called "Tip Toe".  If forced to declare the top 5 best DJ Quik beats of all time, this would definitely make the cut.  Suga Free sets of the song well and is followed by Quik and Hi-C respectfully.  Everyone contributes admirably, but Suga Free maintains ownership of the track.  This is followed by "I Wanna Go Home".  The beats is composed of table drumming and some humming with Suga Free rhyming about serving time in jail.  It's one of the few introspective moments on the album.  This is followed by "If U Stay Ready" featuring Playa Ham, the albums lead single.  The album is an evenly divided collaboration, but the music video/radio, contains and extra Suga Free verse.  Next to "Tip Toe", this is one of the better better beats.

The album does hit a low note with the easy to skip "Fly Fo Life" and the average "on My Way" (the second single), but the album closes out well.  "Secrets" picks things back up.  "Dip Da", the albums final song ends the album on a surprising note: a straight up introspective song about growing up in a broken home.  In an album loaded with funny punchlines and minimal redeeming value, this song was pretty refreshing.

The lead single "If U Stay Ready" received plenty of airplay at the time, but overall this album failed to be the mainstream success people expected with the DJ Quik association.  However, the album did well regionally and is still highly regarded as a Western classic.  Suga Free never ended up gaining a mainstream following, but over the years has maintained a loyal regional fan base and continues to release music.

Public Enemy – Muse Sick N Hour Mess Age

I actually think this is a solid album that never really got the credit it deserves.  However, I can totally understand why this album was so divisive.  For starters, times had changed.  Speaking out about politics, racism, and self-empowerment didn’t exactly fit it with the gangsta image that had taken over mainstream Hip Hop at the time.  Secondly, the production style was changed drastically.  At first, un-cleared samples weren’t a big deal in Hip Hop, but once everyone realized the genre could no longer be considered a fad, the lawsuits came pouring in across the board, and Public Enemy was certainly not immune.  As a a result, sampling on this album was kept to a minimum and more live instruments were used.  While not a classic, I feel this was simply a good album that people just were ready for.

Snoop Dogg – Tha Doggfather

Anytime an artist makes a classic (see Doggystyle), expectations go through the roof for the follow up.  Times had changed when this album came out.  Dr. Dre had left Death Row records, leaving Snoop to find new producers.  He ended up having his Daz Dillinger from Tha Dogg Pound and Soopafly handle those duties.  While I’d argue the production was solid, it was just too different than people were accustomed to.  As a result, a number of people liked it because Snoop could do no wrong at that point in time (think of how Kanye West is viewed now) and just as many people felt it was a hefty drop off and believed Snoop needed to reunite with Dre immediately.  I agree that compared to Doggystyle, the was a huge drop off, but I’d argue that’s more of Snoop’s fault than the beats.  Other than the title track, Snoop’s performance, in my view, just doesn’t stick to the ribs.

The Roots – Phrenology

When this album came out, The Roots were following up three straight critically acclaimed albums, so naturally expectations continued to rise.  I didn’t know what to expect when the album came out, but I knew to expect something different then usual after hearing their lead single “Break U Off”.  The Roots pretty much did a 180 on this album compared to their previous work, and have continued to change since then. While the album went gold based on the strength of the 2^nd single “The Seed 2.0” featuring Cody Chesnutt, receptions from fans and critics were absolutely divided.  Many were angry The Roots had abandoned their signature sound, while many others welcome the change.  To this day, I’m not sure what I think about this album.  I don’t believe it’s bad, but I can’t say I listen to it very often either.  I view it as a transition.  While The Roots albums before this were good and in a couple cases great, their style was bound to grow stale, so even though they hadn’t completely found their new selves just yet, I think it’s the only album they could’ve made at the time.   

 Common – Electric Circus

I’ll never forget when this came out.  For those that may not recall, this album was highly anticipated in the Hip Hop world.  Common was following up a well received gold selling album (Like Water For Chocolate).  For those who stuck by him through lackluster sales of previous albums, not only was he good, but finally recognized for it.  Expectations were high.  J-Dilla, and Quest Love handled the production duties, with a couple beats from The Neptunes mixed in.  Everyone was shocked by the album.  It was a huge departure from anything he had ever done.  The fans were pretty evenly divided.  Nothing was overly pop sounding so, there was no charge of selling out, but detractors said (myself included) that while trying something new is always admirable, his experiments straight up didn’t work.  On the other side of the coin, there were just as many people who praised it for taking so many chances.  I’m all for trying things, but I thought this album was overly forgettable, Common has even on a couple of occasions, apologized “for that time in his kife”, when asked about the album.  I also noticed no one ever cites this album when singing the praises of the late J Dilla’s work.  I think the last two sentences say it all.

…and that concludes this edition of T.Q.D’s Corner.  I will have a new post ready to go early in September.  Also, check out the Jason’s Basement (with ToneKrusher Smith & Phingaz) podcast on iTunes.  In addition to it being a good podcast, you can hear me on it once a month doing an a bonus version of this blog. 

Big L was a member of the crew D.I.T.C. (stands for Diggin' In The Crates).  Other members of the crew were Showbiz, A.G., O.C., Lord Finesse, Diamond D, Buckwild, and Fat Joe.  Fat Joe is the only one to have any real commercial success over the years, but they're all put out critically acclaimed material.  Big L was also a part of a short lived group Children of the Corn with Cam'ron, Mase, and Cam'ron's cousin Bloodshed, who passed away in 1997.  Stylistically, he can most easily be traced back to Big Daddy Kane.

While he was alive, Big L made some guest appearances with some on his D.I.T.C. comrades, but otherwise didn't create a ton of material.  He released one album Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous and was apparently only half done with his second album, which was later pieced together to make The Big Picture.

His album Lifestylez Ov The Poor & Dangerous came out in 1995, supported by the singles "Put It On" (in my opinion, the album's best song) and a remix to the song "MVP".  The singles received a decent amount of airplay at the time and album received respectable ratings from critics, but hardly anyone bought it at the time.  As a result of lackluster sales, Big L was dropped from his  label.  It's a shame no one paid attention at the time.  I wouldn't call it a classic album in the least, but it was pretty good.

After taking some time to regroup, he started working on a follow up, established his own label, and was apparently in talks to join Roc-A-Fella Records, which never materialized for obvious reasons.  It all ended pretty quickly as he was killed in 1999 at the age of 24.

Three years after he died, the album The Big Picture was released in 2002.  As I mentioned earlier, it was put together using completed songs and some acapella tracks from what he was working on.  The album went gold in a month.  While the accomplishment was posthumous, it was nice to see him get some shine.

People have sense rewritten history to hold up Big L as an all time icon from the 1990s, but that is simply BS.  The fact is, Big L passed away relatively unknown and it didn't seem like most people got the memo (or even heard of him) until 3 years later when The Big Picture came out.  Big L is held up as an all time great in some circles, but I find that laughable.  He made one album...one.  And the second was pieced together and had to be filled out with guest appearances to make it complete.  While it is not his fault, he simply didn't have enough time.  No one is the best ever after one album.  I put Pun and Biggie (2 albums each) and this category too.  Yes, he was good, but projecting greatness based on 1.5 projects is simply unfair.

Regardless, Big L was a talented rapper and it's too bad he's whether he would've flamed out quickly, built a solid/respected body of work, or remain in obscurity, it would've been nice not to leave it to imagination.

Onyx began as a quartet, but quickly became a trio due to legal problems with one of the members who quickly left the group.  They were discovered by Jam Master Jay and with his help were able to land a deal with Def Jam.  Their big hit “Slam” was a number one hit and helped their debut Bacdafucup (still not sure how they didn’t have to censor the title) go platinum.  The three members are Fredro Starr, Sonee Seeza, and Sticky Fingaz, who was commonly thought to be (and I’d agree) the standout of the group.

The sound of the group would be best described, as New York style street Hip Hop.  After releasing their successful debut of unapologetic gangsta tunes, it was time for a follow up.  That brings us to today’s topic: All We Got Iz Us.

While the essence of the group was intact, the group decidedly different turn.  They decided to follow up an aggressive debut with a dark one.  The beats (self-Produced) can all be described and hark and dark.  Subject-wise, the album is equal parts gangsta rap, social commentary, with a touch of bragging.  What I always found interesting about this album is that it’s dark all the way through.  While many album may lean one way of the other, but still have ups and downs, this one doesn’t let up at all…and in this case, I’d argue that to be a strength.

The rapping is much improved delivery wise from all members.  On their first album, I found myself simply waiting for Sticky Fingaz to get on the mic.  While that is still true, the other two guys did a much better job of holding their own, making the album a much better listen.  One of the stronger songs on this album is the lead single and first track, “Last Dayz”.  Those who are unfamiliar with Onyx, but have seen 8 Mile will recognize the beat.  The two songs after, are the title track and “Purse Snatchaz” which keep things moving.  It’s starts of very strong and continues through most of the album.

There are a couple duds on the album, but overall, the album remains entertaining through out.  The beats still hold up pretty well today.  The rapping, while on some songs comes off dated, still holds up too.  While critics (and me) universally viewed this album as a real step up and a solid record, it was apparently too dark for the masses, as this went relatively ignored by most people.  I never really got in to Onyx otherwise, but I still view this as a good album and worth checking out.

And with that said, the concludes this months edition of T.Q.D’s Corner.  I’ve already started working on May’s edition, so you’ll be seeing that real soon.

Welcome to a new edition of T.Q.D’s Corner.  For the uninitiated, this is where I wax philosophical about Hip Hop days gone by.  On this edition, I tackle one of the tougher lists to compile: top Hip Hop songs of the 1990s.  In my humble opinion, the 90s is easily the best decade in Hip Hop thus far.  I say that not just based on taste, but for the fact that it’s highly debatable what the best songs and albums where, more than the 80s and 00s.

As with any list, especially with such a highly debatable time in Hip Hop, there are plenty of snubs, but hey, not everyone can make the list.  The list must be cut off at some point.  After much deliberation, I have compiled my list of the top 20.  Before I describe my top 10 in detail, I’ll share my 11-20 in no particular order.

Black Star - “Thieves In The Night”

Jay-Z – “Regrets”

Aceyalone – “The Face”

Notorious B.I.G. – “Kick In The Door”

Mood feat. Talib Kweli – “Sacred Pt. 1”

Black Sheep – “Flavor Of The Month”

Scarface – “I Seen A Man Die”

2Pac – “Temptations”

Goodie Mob - “Goodie Bag”

O.C. – “Ma Dukes”

…and now to the top 10

10. Eric B & Rakim – “Know The Ledge”

Recorded for the soundtrack for Juice and also on the Don’t Sweat The Technique album, this is in my opinion, Rakim at his lyrical best.  The song tells the tale of rise and fall in the street life, much like the movie Juice.  It’s easily one of the better story raps I’ve ever heard to this day.  Not to mention, the bass on the beat is ridiculous, Eric B and Rakim would never record again (as a duo) after the Don’t Sweat The Technique album, but on this jam, the end their partnership with a bang.

9. Naughty By Nature – “O.P.P.”

For reasons, I’m unsure about, Treach remains highly underrated as an emcee. Sure, the last couple Naughty By Nature albums were duds, but those first 3 hit the mark for sure.  The song “O.P.P.” always stuck with me.  The beat doesn’t get too fancy, which allows Treach the room to wax poetic about being a promiscuous young man.  We can debate redeeming value another time, this song is just masterfully written.  Even if you don’t care about what’s being said, the various rhymes Treach uses on this song put him in a small class of greats.

8. Outkast – “Elevators”

I have to respectfully disagree with those people who think the catalog of Outkast gets better with each album.  ATLiens is their best in my view and I don’t even think it’s close.  This album, save for a couple duds was loaded with heat.  The lead single was “Elevators”, a song about fame and how that changes one’s life.  Lyrically, it’s on point and those subtle drums are highly infectious.

7. Pete Rock & CL Smooth - “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)”

Although short lived as a duo, Pete Rock & CL Smooth certainly made a huge impact with the time they were given.  Pete Rock’s beat is downright infectious.  On top of that, CL Smooth turns in one of his best lyrical performances, and he takes a look back on life and remembers those no longer here.

6. Nas – “The World Is Yours”

Most people who were around at the time, remember the album Illmatic.  It remains Nas’ masterpiece.  While most people wouldn’t disagree with that, the more debatable thing about the album is what the best song is.  Personally, I don’t think there is an argument.  The third single, courtesy of a Pete Rock classic, is my choice.  The beat grabs you from the beginning and once Nas starts rapping…well, it’s over.

5. Ice Cube – “Wicked”

I was debating whether I like this song or “The World Is Yours” better.  Quite frankly, I think they are great for the exact same reason.  The beat grabs in a way that you are highly anticipating was a about to be said.  Once the rapping starts, you are hooked.  The lead single off of his third, and arguably best, album is simply a classic.

4. De La Soul – “I Am I Be”

Those unfamiliar with this song, may still be familiar with the template, since local emcee P.O.S borrowed the lyrical temple for his song “De La Souls”.  The beat is subtle, simple, and infectious.  The song is well written and catchy and the didn’t need a hook to do it.  More importantly, they didn’t waste their time telling you they didn’t need a hook.  They showed and proved it.  While Buhloone Mindstate is far from the best De La Soul album, I would argue this might be their best song.

3. A Tribe Called Quest – “Electric Relaxation”

Much like “O.P.P.”, this song won’t be winning any awards for redeeming value, but the clever wordplay more than makes up for it.  I believe this to be the crown jewel from arguably (I say yes) best album Midnight Marauders.  While many songs out there discuss the joys of sex, very few of them tackle such a topic with such tact.  Those of you, who haven’t heard this song, but remember The Wayans Brothers tv show on the WB, will recognize the beat.

2. Kool G Rap & DJ Polo – “Ill Street Blues”

A master of the story rap and of complex rhyme patterns, Kool G Rap absolutely slays this simple piano sample with some great story telling.  And as far as the rhyme schemes go: G Rap is in a class by himself.

1. Public Enemy – “Can’t Truss It”

Those who know me well, had no trouble guessing what the top song would be.  I don’t believe a better Hip Hop song has ever been made.  Many imitators have come along trying tackle the political paradigm of left and right and the ongoing struggle of racist thought, but Chuck D in his prime did it better than anyone to this day.  Much like “I Am I Be” proved for De La Soul, one’s best song isn’t always on your best album.

 ...and that concludes this edition of T.Q.D’s Corner.  That sure was tough to narrow down, but I’ve glad I finally made a decision.  I’ll be back next month with another installment of T.Q.D’s Corner.  Thanks for reading.

In 1997, I remember reading the magazine Rap Pages and going straight to the review section first as I always did/do.  One album I came across was by a group called Mood from Cincinnati who had released their debut album ‘Doom’.  It only got a mid level review, but the description intrigued me, so I bought it next time once I had the money to do so.

Mood was a three member group with two emcees and a producer: Main Flow, Donte, and Jahson.  Half of the album was produced by Jahson and their other half by a feloow up and coming producer by the name of DJ Hi Tek.  Both producers give the album a consistant feel of dark, yet smooth samples (think DJ Muggs and early RZA).  An at the time unknown Talib Kweli appears on four tracks, most notably “Sacred Pt. 1”.  Sunz Of Man also made and appearance.

I’m a firm, believer that this is one of the 10 best albums of the 1990s and no one really seems to even remember this one.  Every song plays right in to the others.  Topics range from generic bragging, esoteric/spiritual, political, hometown, pride and a touch of introspection.  The best three songs in my opinion are “Sacred Pt. 1”, “Millenium”, and “Illuminated Sunlight”, but the truth is, there are no bad songs on this album.  Some are better than others, but that’s about it.

1997 was pretty much the birth year of the current indie rap scene as we know it.  A couple other debut albums from that year, Overcast! By Atmosphere and Funcrusher Plus by Company Flow, are often cited as the most influential records when it comes to current indie Hip Hop.  While influence wise, that is absolutely true: why no one seems to remember this Mood album always puzzled me.  I suppose part of the reason is that they never followed it up with a second album, though word on the street is they’re finally back in the studio.  Main Flow has remained an indie fixture as a soloist, and a good one at that, but it just aint the same.

Regardless of whether you never got around to it the first time or you weren’t aware this one even existed, do yourself a favor and check this one out.

Welcome to this month’s edition of T.Q.D’s Corner.  Let me start of by saying that I’m currently working on a new full length, but would like to take a look back, now that some time has passed.  Usually I wax philosophical on Hip Hop days gone by, but since today is my birthday, I am going to get highly self-indulgent.  Consider yourself warned.

On April 4^th of 2009, I released a solo album called Clench, Grit, Breathe.  That was a great day for me.  The release show went off without a hitch, but more importantly it was an opportunity to release what I felt was easily my best work.   The songs that make up the album were constructed between mid-2006 and November of 2008.  That was a major transition point in my life for many reasons that I won’t go in to at this point in time.  The album’s title was my way of describing the three stages going through issues.  Things are going wrong (clench).  Things are getting better (grit).  Things are better (breathe).

Without further ado, here is a song by song analysis of Clench, Grit, Breathe.

1. “Let The Funeral Begin”

I received this beat from Vividend halfway through the album’s construction.  It took a while to write this song, mainly because I just enjoyed the instrumental without actually writing anything, but that changed over time. 

The song title is directly tied to the album concept in that before anything can go on, the past/old self, must be discarded.  My favorite part of the song is the end.  There’s some metal-ish style yelling that I found highly refreshing to bust out.   This is easily one of my favorite songs that I’ve written.

2. “Baby Boy”

This was meant to be the sequel to “Let The Funeral Begin”: the rebirth.  Usually I just pick beats until I have enough to start writing, with little regard for what I’ll use each beat for initially.  However, this time I specifically told Phingaz what I wanted the song to be about and this is the beat he came up with.  Even among people who like the album quite a bit, this tended to be the song most people liked the least.  I would disagree with that, but that’s cool.  There are quite a few references to specific moments in my life, so it’ll always be a special tune to me.

3. “Sunrise” 

When Phingaz and I were making the EP for Green Sketch, this was one of the beats he proposed.  I loved it immediately.  He thought it was cool, but wasn’t all that moved by it.  As a result, I asked him to have the beat for myself and he agreed.  The song itself is simply about being happy.  I was coming out of a lot of turmoil and was in the “first day of the rest of my life” phase: the "breathe, if you will.  This was my musical expression of that.

 4. “Fall Asleep”

Before Phingaz and I decided to make Green Sketch a rap duo, it was originally me rapping and him on the beats.  This was actually one of 3 songs on this album from those original Green Sketch sessions.  This is a pretty deep song for me.  Insomnia is an issue I’ve dealt with my whole life.  Some events I won’t get in to during my college years led me in to the worse case of insomnia I’ve ever had…which caused more issues.  While I think it’s a good song, the events inspired by this one make it a tad tough for me to listen to.   

5. “Skyline”

This beat was made by my friend Poorboy.  Much like “Let The Funeral Begin”, when I heard the beat, I didn’t know what I was going to do with it.  I just knew I had to have it.  I’m venting about someone I don’t associate anymore, but I have to plead the 5^th as to who this person is and why.

6. “Financial Aid”

This is the oldest song on the album.  It was a Phingaz beat from the original Green Sketch sessions.  It seemed like every 4-5 months I’d go back and re-record this one.  Why?  I’m not really sure anymore.  This song is actually an ode to my parents.  When listening to the beat originally, I started thinking about literally how much kids cost, monetarily and time-wise and how I want to make sure their money and time are well spent: which is why in the hook I say “trying to give you back you’re money’s worth, since the date of my birth”.

7. “Saunter”

This beat came from Vividend.   When he e-mailed this one to me, my first thought was respond and tell him no due to the time signature, but then I decided to say screw it and give it a shot.  I’m glad I did.  This ended up becoming the lead single and tended to be one of the songs people really gravitated toward.  I remember writing this song like it was yesterday: summer 2008.  I was two months in to relationship with my girlfriend at the time.  I was right at the point where feelings, good and bad, were creeping up on me.  The following week I wrote this song “Saunter”, which was me saying, “I feel something special, but I know this is a disaster waiting to happen…but I still have to go for it anyways”.

8. “Contradiction”

Poorboy gave me this beat.  I got real conceptual on this one.  Like the title might suggest, I basically spend the song running through a laundry list of contradictions in life. This is definitely one of my favorite songs on the album.  Everything just fits.  Poorboy liked it quite a bit too.  I remember him telling me "I usually don't like listening to my friends rap, but this is great."

9. “Red Black And Blue White (featuring Phingaz)”

Phingaz and I decided to cook up this duo cut breaking down in a round about way, the highly comical (in our view) Democrat vs. Republican paradigm and how both sides are full of it.  I’ll leave it at that.  That’s rant for another day.

10. “The Crescent”

This is the third of songs from the original Green Sketch sessions.  This is actually a remix.  An original version exists, which I plan to reveal at a later date.  When Phingaz gave me the beat, I just felt I already had the words and simply switched up the flow, since this version is much slower than the original.  Subject wise, there are references to the fraternity life I lived long ago and some general word play.  This one isn’t too deep.  I’m just focusing on the positive here.

11. “Ask Me In A Few Months”

Relationships have a tendency to start off exciting no matter what, due to the newness of it all.  If you want to know how the relationship is going, ask me in a few months, once a little time passes.  That is the basic concept of this one.  Props to Poorboy for the beat.

12. “Second Fiddle”

This is the true story of two brothers (and no, I’m not one of the brothers).  One is the “good kid”.  The other is the “screw up”.  The “good kid” dies much too soon.  The “screw up” is obviously saddened, but has an even tougher time since his parents hardly acknowledge him.  Observing this from afar was obviously sad and I was always waiting for the right beat to make it in a song.  Katrah-Quey made the beat.

13. “Hide And Seek (Featuring Sinthesis)”

Phaust from Sinthesis gave me this beat and I had to have it.  The beat’s time signature is different from anything I’d attempted before,  but I was willing to give it a try, since I liked the beat so much.  My verse took forever to record, but that happens sometimes when you step out of your comfort zone.   This pretty much a darker “My Cherie Amor”.

 14. “Speed Bump”

This was the last song I wrote for the album.  When Vividend sent this I took it immediately, because I knew exactly what the song was going to be about.  I’m not sure I’ve ever written a song faster then this one.  I’m usually a slow poke and work on songs for days, but this was done in 30 minutes.  This one probably gets the most response, due to subject matter.  It documents the story of someone I know who was raped, got pregnant, and ensuing frustration.  I don’t know if this is the album’s best song, but it is my personal favorite.

15. “Another One”

 This is perhaps the most care-free song I’ve ever made.  The song has no point.  It’s just me clowning around for a few moments.  I originally wrote 3 verses instead of the two you actually hear on the final version, but due to how vulgar and bizarre it was, Phingaz refused to include it.  After thinking about it for 5 seconds, I agreed.  He was absolutely right.  Props go to Phaust for providing the beat.

16. “Pity”

This is the first song made for this album.  When Egypto Knuckles gave me this beat, I had trouble deciding on a song.  I probably wrote 3 different songs to this beat.  I eventually decided on song number 3.  It’s just a tune about making personal songs.  I don’t do it for sympathy.  I do it because I think the songs are good.

…and that pretty much sums up the record.  Like I said, I am in the process of a few new records that will be revealed later, but wanted to take a look back.  For those of you who’ve heard the album, hopefully this gives you a bit more insight.  For those of you who haven’t checked out, It’s available at an internet retailer near you. 

Next month, we'll return to regular format of T.Q.D's Corner.  In the meantime, have a great rest of December.

Before, we get in to the music itself, it needs to be stated that MC Hammer was criticized for things that quite frankly proved him to be well ahead of his time.  He was criticized  for doing commercials, starting his own clothing line, endorsing sneakers, and co-signing/getting record deals for his friends (in his case, back up dancers)…supposedly these things made him a sell out.  However, all of these things are beyond commonplace in the current days.  People called him a sell out, but they conveniently forget that his back up dancers and vocalists were all people from his East Oakland neighborhood, as his way of keeping some people away from the pitfalls of street life.  That doesn’t sound like a sell out to me.

Let’s take a look at the music.  The mainstream career of MC Hammer begins with him tweaking his indie record and re-titling it Let’s Get It Started.  As with all MC Hammer records, the rapping is terrible, but because of his dancing (incomparable at the time), he caught on easily with hits such as the title track “Let’s Get It Started”, “Pump It Up”, “Turn This Mutha Out” and a couple other hits.  The album went platinum at the time, and has since gone double platinum.  He was popular, but he was about to become “it” just a year later.

Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em, home to the mega hits “Pray” and of course “U Can’t Touch This” was a monster seller.  MC Hammer was absolutely everywhere.  You name it, MC Hammer was there.  He was over exposed.  Many haters appeared to talk smack about him.  He had just as many defenders as detractors at this point.  To date, this album has sold over 10 million copies.  The only other Hip Hop records that Have sold more are Biggie’s Life After Death and OutKast’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.  It should noted that the RIAA counts double albums as two copies sold, so technically MC Hammer still has the highest selling record in a literal sense.

When it was time for a follow up, the promo push was enormous: the kind very few albums have received in my lifetime.  Too Legit 2 Quit was the album.  The haters continued to grow, but he kept on doing his thing.  The album sold 5 million copies, but given the promo push, that was underwhelming.  The stage show was bigger than it had ever been.  He toured with a stage show of back up dancers/vocalists that depending on who you asked, was somewhere between 100-200 people, all from his neighborhood.  The business practice among other things would be the genesis of later money woes.

The next album The Funky Headhunter marks a bizarre turn in the career of MC Hammer.  He decided to trade in the flashy suits for skull caps, baggy jeans, and jersey.  People laughed at this change in clothes, but when you remember where he’s from, it’s not really that odd.  He didn’t go gangsta or anything as folk like to claim, but he did change a bit.  There was less emphasis on dance songs and more emphasis on brag raps, and battling.  And of course, the one truly embarrassing moment comes from the song “Pumps And A Bump”: a rump shaker anthem.  That’s fine, but not when MC Hammer is the messenger.  This album still managed to go platinum, but when your last one sold 5 and 10 before that, that’s a bit of a flop.

It is at this point, 1994-5, that the well documented money woes take hold.  By all accounts, these money issues never forced him to live in a cardboard box, they just made it so that his house looks a bit more “normal”.  It is also during this time that MC Hammer would sign with Death Row Records (yes, THAT Death Row Records).  He recorded an album called Too Tight, but it was never released due to all the drama with the label in 1996 (look it up), but it’s certainly floating around the net.  I’ve heard it and it is not too tight.

After this he went on to get involved in the church, as well as return to making his usual dance rap fanfare, albeit on an indie scale.  He continues to make music and release records here and there.

All in all, MC Hammer was not a good rapper at all, but he was highly authentic and deserves a lot more credit than he as been given over time.  He had a good run.  People erroneously call him a one hit wonder.  Having 4 albums that sell 2 million, 10 million, 5 million, and 1 million respectively is not a wonder at all.  It’s success, whether you like his music or not.